Maria Bamford after the show.
July 12 was another great evening of comedy in Austin with Maria Bamford headlining! You may recognize her from cameos in goofy shows or stand-up appearances over the years but more often for her voice work in the cartoons Catdog, Home Movies, Word Girl and most recently Barnyard.
Before she came on, there were a half dozen opening performers who were the finalists of Austin’s recent stand-up contest. They were all solid because they made me laugh which is something I barely do at movies or TV. My friend Scott and I hope to come back for an open mic night to see some of them again as an act of support.
Maria was on a roll from the start. Her material is great to listen to but you have to see her in person due to the physical elements in her act; she contorts, makes faces and gestures to illustrate her jokes—there’s this gut-busting geography routine done with her hands.
After the show, she was a treat to talk to. We had to keep it brief since there were many people who also wanted some face time with Maria. She smiled when I mentioned how much I loved her Shriek Dubois villain on Catdog and gave her a compliment on the animals she imitates. I told her I felt she could be the next Frank Welker (the voice actor for animals). Finally, the answer to your burning question if you’ve seen her; when she does speak off stage, her actual voice is similar to what you hear on stage just with a normal amount of confidence.